Biomarker for heart disease could also be indicative of subclinical brain damage

Researchers from The Netherlands have identified an association between heart disease and early-stage brain damage through the protein NT-proBNP. Damage to both the heart and brain can occur at a subclinical stage, even before symptoms can be detected. Therefore, a biomarker for diseases such as stroke and dementia that can be detected in the blood could mean that the correct treatment is administered as early as possible. The results were published in the journal Radiology and used patient data from the Rotterdam Study. The protein NT-proBNP has already been established as a marker for heart disease; levels in the blood...